UNIVERSITY PARK — Teams with
Run-and-Shoot offenses often run into trouble because their quick drives put
pressure on the defense.

Just ask SMU coach June Jones. He and Mouse
Davis departed the Detroit Lions after head coach Wayne Fontes decided to ditch
their prolific Run-and-Shoot because “it scores too fast.”

Jones’ Mustangs are facing a different
problem. The Run-and-Shoot is not scoring enough.

“Defense has been the reason we’re even in a
game,” Jones said Tuesday.

SMU (1-3) enters its final Conference USA season on
Saturday against Texas-El Paso still searching for its offense.

The Mustangs are so out of whack that new
quarterback Garrett Gilbert had probably his best game last Saturday against
TCU, and he threw five interceptions. His receivers combined for 11 drops.

“There weren’t many throws where I felt that I
misfired,” he said. “I felt a lot more comfortable in the pocket. The dropped
balls are going to happen. I’ve got to put the ball where it needs to be. I’ve
got to do a better job of that.”

Gilbert’s lack of experience in the
Run-and-Shoot and lack of familiarity with his receivers could explain some of
the early struggles. The offense also had to adjust to five new starters on the
offensive line.

But as Gilbert has grown more comfortable with
the scheme, the offensive struggles have increased statistically.

Gilbert had a passing efficiency rating of
102.8 and 286 passing yards in the opener against Baylor. His efficiency and
yardage have dropped in each game since, to 60.7 and 190, respectively, last
week.

The Mustangs are averaging 20.1 fewer yards
passing than Jones’ first SMU team in 2008, which went 1-11.

At 341.0 yards per game of total offense, they
are 47.6 yards off last year’s pace. Their 23.9-point scoring average is better
than only one of Jones’ five SMU teams (2008).

The drops have been a problem since top
receiver Darius Johnson let one slip through his fingers in the end zone
against Baylor.

“When you have that many dropped balls, that’s
probably another 300, 250 yards of offense because you’re converting first
downs and get more plays,” Jones said. “It’s frustrating, but you’ve got to
just get better. You’ve got to fight your way out of adversity.”

Although the 11 drops against TCU came in a
steady rain, Gilbert was able to get the slippery ball to his targets. The
Mustangs converted just three of 14 third downs. TCU converted seven of 21.

Since converting 60 percent of their third
downs against Baylor, they are 9-for-45.

“That’s not good coming from a team that
passes a lot,” receiver Der’rick Thompson said. “We can say it was because of
the rain, but we’re receivers and we’ve got to catch the ball regardless of the
conditions.”

Jones’ Run-and-Shoot is a pass-first scheme.
Completions set up the run. The offense devotes most of every practice on
repetitions so that simple pass plays are ingrained.

The Mustangs have averaged 46 throws and 26
rushes per game. In the Run-and-Shoot, success depends largely on the
quarterback and receivers making reads and adjustments after the snap.

Gilbert did not go through spring practice
because he was completing his degree at Texas.
He basically had three weeks of training camp to get in sync with the
receivers. And the receivers had to adjust to his strong arm.

“I think that plays a little part in it,”
Johnson said. “He has a lot more velocity. He can really throw the ball. It’s a
little different, but that’s no excuse. We’ve got to catch them all.”

Follow Bill Nichols on Twitter at
@BillNicholsDMN

Sputtering offense

The Mustangs’ Run-and-Shoot has yet to click. How the offense
compares to coach June Jones’ others at SMU:

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